Spaghetti alla Carbonara

This was such an easy meal to whip up. I found this recipe on Food Network. The flavors came together so nicely. My recipe below is halved and was just enough for Matt and I. So, if you make the original recipe, it will likely serve 3-4. Enjoy!

SPAGHETTI alla CARBONARA (Food Network)

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound spaghetti
1 cup cubed pancetta rind removed
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.

In another large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the pancetta cubes in the oil until crispy but not crunchy. Pour over the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before end of the recommended cooking time.

When the pasta is done, remove approximately 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining. Put the pan with the bacon cubes back on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy pancetta. Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Thin with pasta water, if needed. Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg to serve.

Oh, so good . . Pasta e Fagioli

OMG! What a FABULOUS dish. It was so easy and had such wonderful flavor. I followed the receipe closely, but my changes are in bold...

Pasta e Fagioli (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
3 ounces pancetta, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic (I used 3 big garlic cloves and pressed them)
5 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of garbanzo beans)
3/4 cup elbow macaroni
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional (I used 1TB for extra heat)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine (I didn't have cheesecloth, so I used a coffee filter). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth* (I pureed 2 cups). Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Return the puree to the remaining soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil just before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Red Wine Risotto with Peas

Can you tell I like risotto...and wine? I had cracked a bottle last night while my sister was over, so there was a tiny bit left to throw in the pot!!

This is portioned more for a side, but we ate it as a meal and it worked perfectly. Another great Giada recipe. The flavors melded together so nicely and it was so creamy. Matt loves peas, so this was great. Next time, I'll leave the peas out of my serving. Peas really aren't my thing!

RED WINE RISOTTO WITH PEAS (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
I added a thin slice of pancetta in with the onions

DIRECTIONS:
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

Saucy!

So, I had some leftover pancetta from my Dirty Risotto, so I searched for a receipe to use it up! I came across this receipe on the Food Network, of course created by Giada. After all of the Giada raves, I knew this would probably be a great dish....and it was! The sauce was oh-so flavorful! It was such a hit with my sister and husband. They both had seconds. This is the first meal with no leftovers!!

The only things I did different with the recipe was that I added the Pecorino Romano to the sauce vs. tossing it in and I didn't toss the noodles with the sauce. I'm more of a saucy girl, so I like to add extra to my noodles!

PASTA WITH PANCETTA AND TOMATO SAUCE (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:

6 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

Sea salt (did not use)

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes (used a couple pinches)

1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree

1 pound linguine

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

DIRECTIONS:

Add the pancetta to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and saute until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato puree. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, to taste.

Meanwhile, boil the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the linguine with the sauce in the skillet, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid until the pasta is moist but being careful not to dilute the sauce. Toss with the cheese. Season with salt, to taste

Get Dirty!!

I was looking for a recipe that incorporated Italian sausage, as I had some I needed to use up in the freezer. I have never cooked risotto before, so this recipe was a little intimidating. To my surprise, it was so EASY!! Be patient. Slowly stirring that broth in is key. It's so worth the wait!

The flavor is incredible and the servings are so filling. I will definitely make this recipe again!!

DIRTY RISOTTO (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (make sure you use reduced-sodium!!)

2 tablespoons butter

2 ounces pancetta, chopped

1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt (I did not add this)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.